Career in Medicine

One of the most respected of all career options, Medicine is the study that deals with identifying, treating and preventing diseases. Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, is an integrated four and a half years study programme that students have to pursue to become a doctor.

It doesn’t need an explanation as to why the profession of a Doctor is one of the most respected and desired profession. Doctors carry out the most important job of ensuring that diseases are prevented or cured.

Although a career in medicine may imply many other professions, the one of the Doctor is the most prominent of all. To become a Doctor, one has to complete MBBS or Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. Although it may imply two degrees to a layman, it is in reality a single degree that educates an aspiring doctor in the intricacies of health problems and their cure.

Students, who complete the MBBS course successfully, prefix the title Dr. to their names. Though the MBBS degree was considered qualification enough for practicing medicine, today, most doctors pursue a post-graduation course in medicine and healthcare to excel in their profession.

A study by KPMG (a professional service company), shows that in India there are only 6 doctors for every 10,000 people. This is a remarkably low number and the country needs well educated and energetic healthcare professionals. If one has fondness for subjects like Biology, Physics and Chemistry, the medical field is an ideal career. Not only is medicine and surgery a lucrative career choice, it also brings along a position of reverence in the society. To become a doctor, one needs to first graduate with an M.B.B.S. (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) degree.

Top Colleges

Some countries, such as the United States and Canada, require medical students to complete their undergraduate before entering medical school, necessitating eight or more years of education. On the other hand, many other countries treat medical school as an undergraduate programme, and only require five or six years of schooling.

Medical school programmes in Europe and Australia are pretty standardised: Medical students need to complete six years of undergraduate study, plus an internship, in order to become a doctor. The exception is Germany, which requires completion of a five-year programme. The Philippines also offers a "4+4" programme for becoming a doctor, and South Korea recently switched to a similar programme from a six-year undergraduate programme.

Country	College	Top Reasons
Australia	University of Melboure The University of Sydney Monash University University of New South Wales University of Queensland	multi-cultural environment, offers low cost of living, great weather, part- time work options, promising future prospects
UK	University of Cambridge University of Oxford University of Edinburgh University College London University of Dundee	world’s best research facilities, impressive architectural designs, alumni that comprise of world-renowned medical researchers
India	All India Institute of Medical Sciences Christian Medical College Armed Forces Medical College JIPMER	the shortest duration of medical studies in the world, doctors from India are valued internationally, strict norms of selection

In order to be eligible for the MBBS or BDS course, students should have passed their 10+2 exams with Physics, Chemistry, Biology/Biotechnology and English, individually with a minimum of 50% marks in Physics, Chemistry and Biology/Biotechnology taken together.

MBBS is one course which requires a lot of patience. The In India, the course takes 5½ years to complete, comprising of 4½ years of classroom study followed by a year of a rotating internship). The 4½ years of class room study is divided into 4 phases. In each phase, there are semesters. At the end of each phase, a special exam is held. A phase is generally referred to as “professional” in MBBS jargon.

The third professional is devoted to monthly clinical work in the wards and departments of the hospital. In all there are 3 professional examinations, followed by practical and clinical examinations.

Career Prospects

In most countries, it is not easy for students to become a doctor in one country and practice in another Following are your options after the MBBS degree:

With an MBBS degree, you can work at:

Government or private hospitals
Nursing homes/clinics/health departments
Medical services of the army, navy and air force, under the Ministry of Defence
Charitable institutions

The positions you can work as include:

General Practitioner, Physician
General Surgeon
Anesthetist or Anesthesiologists
Psychiatrist

Jobs & Salary

Whether it is a period of economic boom or recession, medical practitioners are always in demand. Doctors have many options when it comes to choosing their work options. These are some of the options for a qualified MBBS graduate both in the public and private sector:

Hospital Administration
Medical Transcription
Scientific Research
Cosmetology/Trichology

Your pay as a doctor depends on the organisation you work for, number of hours you can put in, your experience, skill, reputation, the geographic region, and similar factors. The total compensation for a doctor in government hospitals usually includes the salary, bonus, research stipends, bonuses, and other benefits. It is often seen that private practitioners and self-employed doctors have a higher median income. As you will notice in the following table, after a couple of years in this field, your salary increases in leaps and bounds.

Apart from the general medicine, a new field has emerged in this real: Para-medicine. It is the intersection of healthcare, public health and public safety. The major areas of work in the field of paramedical sciences are spinal injury management, fracture management, obstetrics, management of burns and assessment, and evaluation of general incident scene.

Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Prosthetic & Orthotic Engineering and Nursing are some its well-known areas.

Pros & Cons

The advantages of being a doctor are many especially if you are a sucker for respect. Following are some of the other obvious advantages:

Ability to provide service and support to others
Save lives
Continuous learning
Excellent pay

Sadly, with respect comes responsibility and some disadvantages:

Late work hours and erratic shift timings
Dealing with immensely stressful situations on an ongoing basis
Long duration of study

Next Career

Dentistry

A branch of medicine, dentistry basically deals with diagnoses, treatment and prevention of oral disorders and diseases. Although it is primarily related to teeth, it is important for the overall health of a person.